How to wait and pass time in Starfield

Like other Bethesda games, you can pass the time by waiting in Starfield. This is a feature that was in The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, but how do you wait in Starfield? It’s a little bit more complicated. Here is how to wait and pass the time in Starfield.

Note: While you’re figuring out how to wait and pass time in Starfield, you might want to learn how to change your appearance after the character customization section.

All ways to pass time in Starfield, wait explained

Starfield has an active day and night cycle similar to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games. While day and night cycles in these big Bethesda games largely provide different aesthetics, they can be needed for specific quests and activities.

For example, I was doing a sidequest in Starfield that required me to hack into an HR computer. The only problem was that there was a person using that computer. I simply waited until it was nighttime at which point everybody in the office went home. I could then sneak into the office, log into the HR computer, and finish what I needed to.

The problem with waiting in Starfield is it isn’t as easy as clicking a button like we were able to in Skyrim. Instead, the only way to wait in Starfield is to sit down somewhere. The moment you sit down, the wait menu will pop up allowing you to select how many hours you want to wait.

Any chair will do. All you need to do to wait in Starfield is sit down. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a wait button, but I guess passing the time is easier done sitting down than standing in the same spot for hours.

You can also pass time in Starfield by sleeping. This comes in very handy. There are beds on your ships, and you can decorate your house (if you own one) to add a bed. There are also beds in other locations you might visit. That’s true even in space stations swarming with enemies. Several times now, I’ve used beds when I knew enemies lurked nearby. In addition to passing the time, a quick rest allowed me to restore my life meter without using an item from my inventory. Sleeping can even enable you to get more XP from upcoming battles. If you’re traveling with a companion and have formed a committed relationship with them, that’s a perk. So far, no one has tried to kill me in my sleep.

And that is how you wait and pass time in Starfield. While you’re waiting, you can brush up on the best Backgrounds in Starfield.